Category: gardening

  • spring blooms, early May 2025

    spring blooms, early May 2025

    We’ve been working to put in lots of native plants to replace massive quantities of non-native ornamentals, Pachysandra terminalis (from Asia) and Vinca minor (central Eurasia), previously here. I’m excited to see everything blooming! A week ago, May 4-6 — the eastern strawberries were really in full bloom, then, as was the Pieris japonica too.…

  • spring blooms – April

    spring blooms – April

    April 18-24, daffodils, and fern fiddleheads, and some other lovelies! Also, tons and tons of Scilla siberica (which I wrote about last year in the Indy). And, the hepatica (sharp-lobed and round-lobed) was in bloom, but I can’t find any pictures of it. A week later, April 27-May 1 — the catawba rhododendrons are in…

  • catawba rosebay azaleas

    catawba rosebay azaleas

    Our stunning purple catawba rosebay azaleas are in full bloom! The bees are very happy with the azaleas, and the non-native Japonica.

  • Violets!

    Violets!

    The violets are starting to bloom!

  • Iris cristata

    Iris cristata

  • chives

    chives

    Our chives are popping up! Happy, flavorful spring …

  • daffodil progress

    daffodil progress

    The daffodils are coming along …. these are at the front of the property, along the street on the south side of the driveway.

  • Siberian squill

    Siberian squill

    Another early bloomer is Siberian squill, which as its name reveals, is not native to these lands. A garden escapee, it is now pretty invasive — although not yet on the Massachusetts invasive plants list, I believe. The Minnesota Wildflowers database has a pretty good entry on it.

  • first crocus

    first crocus

    These crocuses (croci) are lovely — non native, I think Crocus vernus (Dutch crocus). Spring!

  • tulip & daffodils

    tulip & daffodils

    The tulip by the front door is leafing out, as are daffodils by the street and under the crabapple in the laundry garden.

  • invasive jumping worms

    These are breaking my heart. I first noticed them a few years ago, and since then they have become a full-scale invasion.